


The Noctis Collection

by ffxvhoe (Nyx0206)



Category: FFXV - Fandom, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 13:50:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18181415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyx0206/pseuds/ffxvhoe
Summary: all the imagines/scenarios from my blog (ffxvhoe)





	1. Chapter 1

Being friends was the easy part.  Fooling around on quiet nights was the easy part.  Both slowly realizing that there was a hunger for something more was the hard part.  

You and the crown prince were sitting on the rooftop of the Citadel, a place that had become one of your nightly haunts.  Up there nobody was around to cast judgement on the stereotypical Prince and Pauper.  You knew Noct never thought of you that way, that he hardly even remembered that you were several classes lower than he was in the social hierarchy, but that was because he could.  Nobody would think to throw insults at the Prince.  They would easily throw them at you though.  

Being friends earned enough criticism for yourself, but you didn’t let that bother you…or you tried not to let it bother you.  There were times when you felt it weigh on you more than others, but Noct was always there to banish those thoughts.  Sleeping together, no strings attached had happened on a whim and had become something of a regular occurrence but the two of you should have known that something would come of that.

Your head was resting against Noct’s shoulder, the ends of his hair tickling your forehead slightly every time the wind blew.  His arm was wrapped around your shoulder, fingers playing with a frayed thread on your over-sized shirt.  The moon was above the both of you, making Noct’s eyes glow and your hair glimmer in the silver light.  You were sure that if anyone were to look up the definition of tranquility there would be a picture of this exact moment.

You had been so caught up in enjoying the quiet atop the Citadel, looking down upon the lights of the still bustling city, that you hadn’t realized that Noctis’s eyes had shifted to study you.  He’d looked at you like this the last several times the two of you had been up here.  His eyes tender and filled with awe as the moonlight glinted off your skin, showering you in the moon’s immortal light.  

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, his voice rougher with disuse.

He watched as your eyes moved to his, slowly.  You processed what he had just asked you and you felt your stomach bottom out at the heartache you felt.  “Noct…you know that you can’t.”

“Why would it be any different than when we usually do?” He asked, brow furrowing in frustration.  

“You know why it would, Noctis, you can’t feel this way about me.”  Your lips pulled into a frown.  “At some point we’ll both have to grow up and do what’s expected.  You’ll have to marry someone who will help you strengthen your land, and I’ll have to…find some sort of life for myself.  Make my own way in life or whatever.”

“Screw my royal duties!  I’m going to be the King, I can be with whoever I want.”

“You and I both know that you always end up doing what’s best for the people at the end of the day, Noct,” you said with a knowing chuckle.

“We’re already one of the strongest kingdoms, marrying another royal won’t change anything!  Is it because of my family that you don’t want to actually make anything out of this?  Is it because I’m the prince and next in line that you keep rejecting the idea?”

“You have my answer, Noctis,” you said firmly, trying to push down the fury bubbling in your chest.  It wasn’t aimed at Noctis, but at the situation both of you were facing because of what you were born into.  The only reason you were allowed to continue spending time with Noctis was because Regis was one of the kinder rulers there were, and he cared about you just as he did the rest of Noctis’s friends.  

But that didn’t change anything.  This couldn’t happen.  

“I’m going to go home, Noct, I’ll see you later.”  You lifted yourself from where you were positioned, pulling out of Noctis’s reach.  And did you best to not look at the anguish marring his features.


	2. Chapter 2

_The King looked down at his son whose bright blue eyes alight with childish wonder.  The pair of them were walking through one of the indoor gardens inside the castle.  It was rare for King Regis to get time alone to spend with his son, but for the first time in a while the King was able to put aside whatever royal duties befell him to spend time with his only son._

_“Do you think I’ll be as great of a king when I grow up?” Noctis asked, head tilted back to look at his father.  Regis smiled down at Noctis, pride filling his eyes at the idea of his son one day taking his place.  Or that should have been what filled Regis’s eyes.  Instead a sort of sadness filled his blue eyes as he knew the fate that was to happen in the near future.  Regis quickly buried that pang in his heart.  
_

_“Well, will you protect your people?  Will you be kind and keep my mind open to all possibilities?”  Noctis had already begun smiling at the familiar words.  It had been a couple years prior when King Regis had begun this short speech of sorts.  It was the first time that Noctis had asked about being king.  On a whim Regis had taken the opportunity to try and teach Noctis what a truly great king should aspire to be, and it had turned into a small mantra for the two of them.  
_

_“I will treat all those I meet as an equal.  I will keep all I know safe,” Noctis said, his face molded by conviction and ambition.  “I will go the distance to be a king worthy of being remembered.”  
_

_King Regis bent down so that he was eye level with Noctis before saying, “Then you will be a king even greater than I.”  Noctis’s eyes lit up at that, his small mouth breaking into an awestruck grin.  
_

_“You really think so?” He asked enthusiastically.  
_

_“Most definitely,” Regis replied with a nod.  “You shall be remembered as one of the greatest Lucian Kings.  I’m sure of it.”_

It was that one memory that went through Noctis’s head after his fight with Ardyn as he sat on the throne his father had once filled.   _I will protect my people.  I will be kind and keep my mind open to all possibilities.  I will treat all those I meet as an equal.  I will keep all I know safe._ As the words drifted through his mind, he felt each of the past kings, one blow right after another.  

“Dad…trust in me,” he muttered.  

And right before the sword pierced his chest he could have sworn he heard his father’s voice.  “ _You shall be remembered as one of the greatest Lucian Kings_.”

And then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis tore his gaze from you for the second time that afternoon.  He’d been doing this a lot lately and while he didn’t hate it, it certainly drove him up a wall. Noctis had never gotten this caught up in his feelings for someone before.  While you were mute and that had caused something of a barrier between the two of you at first Noctis had begun to learn sign language with the help of Ignis.  Noctis still remembered the first time he’d successfully had a conversation with you.

The two of you had been at camp, lounging around the fire with everyone else after dinner.  He’d begun the conversation by tapping you on the shoulder before signing a quick question.  Though quick was perhaps the wrong word for it as he had struggled a bit.  You’d been touched nonetheless.  Noctis’s nearly lost his breath several times that night even though the two of you hadn’t actually spoken any words.  He couldn’t help it; the way you came alive with happiness when he’d surprised you was beautiful.

From then on Noctis and you had grown much closer, the two of you never leaving the other unless completely necessary.  You found comfort in the fact that the barrier between you two had – at the very least – been lowered, and Noctis simply found solace in your company.  He always felt more at peace when you were by his side.  Noctis knew that the guys stuck by his side for more than just the reason that he was their charge, but there was still that small voice in the back of his mind that made him think otherwise.  With you though, you spent time with him because you wanted to; you owed him nothing.

“Dude, you’re head over heels,” Prompto said, pulling Noctis out of his thoughts.  Noctis was about to try and defend himself, but there was nothing to say.  He was one hundred and ten percent head over heels for you.

With a shrug, and perhaps a bit of a blush, Noctis said, “They don’t have a lot to say sometimes but….”

“There’s just something about them?” Ignis finished with a bit of a smug grin.  “Perhaps you should simply ask them out.”

Noctis nodded before looking over at you again, but this time your eyes locked with his.  You smiled at him and waved a hand before turning back to what you were doing.  “You know what, Specs?  Maybe I will.”


	4. Chapter 4

You, Noctis, and the rest of the boys had the holidays off for the first time in a very, very long time.  Between trying to save Eos, saving Eos, and then rebuilding Eos, down time wasn’t exactly in anyone’s vocabulary anymore.  In fact it was almost difficult for all of you to actually take the week off to unwind.  Technically speaking, you supposed that Gladio and Ignis were still doing their job in a way, but at least it didn’t  _feel_ as much like doing their jobs.

All five of you were out in one of the snow covered fields just outside of Insomnia.  A perk, you had decided on quite recently, of being the King’s wife was that all of your winter clothes actually kept you warm.  The fleece lining of your jacket and gloves kept you toasty without making you sweat, so like you said…perks.  

Prompto was running around taking pictures of you and your friends and whatever else caught his artistic eye.  He’d just finished snapping a shot of the sun shining through the leaves of one of the evergreens when he turned around to ask, “Where’s Noct?  I wanna take a picture of all of us.”  

At his question you glanced around in confusion.  Noctis had just been next to you, you could have sworn he was. “I’ll go look for him,” you announced before trudging away through the snow laden ground.  Luckily it didn’t take you very long to find the King.  He was standing next to a wild reindeer, both Noctis and the animal seemingly at peace.  You couldn’t help but smile at the sight; the absolute tranquility of the scene before you was almost like something out of a fantasy novel.  The sun glinting off the powdered floor and casting a halo around the King and his new found friend.

Slowly you began making your way over to the two of them, not wanting to frighten either being.  Once you were close enough, you slipped your arm through one of Noctis’s and rested your head against his shoulder.  “He’s beautiful,” you sighed contentedly.  

Noctis made a small noise in agreement before chuckling softly to himself.  “I want one,” he told you.  “He doesn’t ask me to do anything so already I’m pretty sure reindeer are better than people.”  You laughed quietly as you reached out a gloved hand to run through the animal’s coat.  

“Well you are the king,” you said.  “I’m sure you can have an entire family of them live in one of the Citadel rooms if you really wanted to.”  The light laugh Noctis let out sent a surge of warmth through your heart.  “Come on, King of the Reindeer, Prompto wants us to take a group photo.”

“Alright,” Noctis sighed, giving the animal one last pat before heading off back to the other three men with you on his arm.


	5. Chapter 5

You could feel your stomach jump into your throat when you arrived at the steps of the Citadel.  You’d been here a total of two times prior to this, so for your mother to ask you to come in by yourself because she had forgotten a file at home was enough to send your nerves flying off the walls.  She couldn’t go back home in the middle of the day to get it herself, she’d said.  She had no time where she could get someone to cover her shift and considering you’d just gotten your license your mother deemed this the perfect time to make you useful.

“I wanna go home,” you huffed under your breath as you steeled yourself enough to begin making your way up the entrance steps.  The file your mother needed was clutched under your arm while you looked at your phone for the directions your mom had given you.  Her office was on one of the upper floors as she worked closely with the King.  You did your best to look like you belonged here, showing your ID to the guards to back up your claim that your mother worked here.  Even though your back was straight and your head held high, however, didn’t mean that the butterflies left your stomach.  

It was a relief when you’d finally gotten into the elevator.  Nobody else was in there and you were able to deflate a little bit.  You watched the floor counter as the numbers continued to ascend.  As you came to the floor you needed to depart to, you once again straightened your back.  The doors opened with a  _ding_ and you began to walk down the rather long hall.  You glanced down at your phone once again to check you were where you needed to be.   _The second right you come across_.  You kept your eyes glued to the screen as you rounded the corner.

But people are constantly advised to not walk around with their eyes glued to a phone screen for a reason.

Just as you you making your turn, another person was doing the same coming towards you.  You hit the stranger’s chest with an  _oof_ as the file you were holding went flying across the floor, stray papers scattering everywhere.  Even so, you still ended up better off than the stranger.  The boy had ended up on the ground, wheezing slightly as he attempted to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him.

“Oh gods,” you said, eyes widening.  “I am  _so_ sorry.”  You quickly moved over to where he was on the floor, helping him to sit up.  

“I-I’m fine,” he said, his breathing finally returning to normal.  As he finally glanced up at you, his cheeks colored just the slightest bit.  “Uh…”

“Um, I’m ___,” you said as you stood back up and offered him a hand.  For a moment the stranger simply stared at your hand, but finally he realized you were attempting to help him back to his feet and quickly took your hand.

“Noctis,” he said softly.  Your eyes widened and your jaw may have dropped just the slightest bit.  

“Like-like the Prince?  Prince Noctis?”  His cheeks colored just that bit more at your reaction.

“Yeah….” His eyes turned to the floor in slight embarrassment, and that was when he realized all the scattered paperwork.  “Here, I’ll help clean this up,” he said.  You wanted to smack yourself for completely forgetting about the whole reason you were here in the first place.

“Uh, thanks,” you said sheepishly, bending down to begin gathering the papers.  

“Oh, here she is.  Ah and my son as well.”  You glanced up from your current task to see King Regis and your mother round the corner up ahead.  You and Noctis finished gathering the paper up by the time the two parents reached the two of you.  Regis clapped a hand on Noctis’s shoulder, an inviting smile placed on the older man’s face.  “You’re daughter is quite beautiful, Marianne.”  You felt your cheeks heat as you averted your gaze to the floor, holding out the folder to your mother.

“Thank you,” you said bashfully. 

You truly hated your mom’s mischievous streak, especially when she said, “Prince Noctis is quite the looker, isn’t he?  Takes after his father,” she laughed.  “You two should spend some time together while I finish up here.”  

“ _Mom_ ,” you grit out, eyes darting from her to the Prince who’s cheeks matched yours in color quite equally.  

“You flatter me,” Regis said, with a spark in his eye that could only ever mean embarrassing moments for his son.  “It’s certainly easy to see where ___ gets her good looks from, don’t you think so Noctis?”

“ _Dad_ ,” Noctis said, throwing his head back, looking like he wanted nothing more than to crawl under the nearest rock.  

“Mom, don’t you have work you need to do?” You asked, desperate for this to end.  

“Ah, I get it, you want alone time together, I understand.”  You felt your cheeks heat even more if that were even possible.  

“Remember to act the way a Prince is expected to act,” Regis said to Noctis, before laughing heartily at the pure embarrassment that danced on the Prince’s face.  With that, Regis and your mother walked back to her office, leaving you and Noctis to watch them leave with equally red faces.


	6. Chapter 6

You watched, eyes dancing with amusement, as Noctis began walking over to your stall for what had to be the tenth time this week.  Every day since he and his friends had gotten to Lestallum he’d come wandering over to your stall. You were open during the morning hours and during the evening hours, so you’d see him at least once a day.  Not that you minded, of course.  Though he was fairly quiet, he was friendly enough, and you would never be upset over any extra company you got throughout the day.

“Back again?  Careful, the other stalls will start to think you’re playing favorites,” you teased.  The Prince flashed you a small smile as he finally came to stand before your stall.  

“I can’t help it,” he said.  “Your food is just that much better.”  The food was definitely reason enough for Noctis to come visit your stall for two weeks straight at this point, but the real thing that kept him so dedicated to your stand was likely the fact he’d developed a small crush on you.  The first time he came over to the stand he’d truly just been hungry, but the inviting and overwhelmingly friendly smile you’d given him that day had nearly knocked the breath out of Noct.  He came the next day in hopes of trying to get a better read on you, and found that he loved hearing the sound of your voice; he’d listened to you talk about things to know about the city and surrounding area with rapt attention.

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s the food,” you said knowingly. Noctis felt heat rise to his cheeks at the look you sent him. Maybe he hadn’t been as discreet as he’d originally thought. You wrapped the crepe up and handed it over to the Prince, watching happily as he began to dig in.  Ah the joy a chef felt when someone thoroughly enjoyed their food.  “Is there anything else you need?”  You asked, leaning on an empty portion of the counter and supporting your head in your hand.  “Anything you’d maybe like to ask?”  

Noctis nearly choked on the piece of food he’d been chewing.  The mischievous light that glinted in your eyes was both alluring and unnerving.  Yeah…definitely hadn’t been as discreet I thought.  “I, uh…would you, um….”

“I get off work in a couple hours,” you said with a smile and a laugh.  Coming out from behind your stall, you grabbed one of the sharpies you had laying around and quickly scribbled your number onto the Prince’s hand.  “You can give me a ring when you’re ready to go out.”  You tapped Noctis with the end of the marker before pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek.  “See ya later, lover boy.”


	7. Chapter 7

There were so many things to love about Noctis, to adore and treasure. He was completely dedicated to his friends and family. Even though he may complain, he always did what was expected of him. He fought for what he believed, and never backed down from a fight if it meant giving up his morals. Though he was often a bit lazy, he always did what he could to provide and take care of you. He never let the royal title get to his head, and he treated everyone he met as an equal. And he was gorgeous to boot. One of your favorite things about Noctis, however, was his hands. They were capable, graceful things. His wrists were slender, but not dainty. His fingers were long, but capable, which had led you to ask upon first meeting if he had played the piano when he was younger. He had. It was more than strictly how they looked, though. The way they held you together on your worst days, letting you know that Noctis was there and he always would be so long as you allowed him. The way they wound through your hair absentmindedly when he was deep in thought and your head was resting upon his shoulder. The way they would splay across your back when he hugged you goodbye, squeezing ever so gently as if to remind himself that you meant what you said when you told him “I’ll wait for you.” The way they would drift across your skin as you undressed one another. They way they would deftly undo the buttons of your pants and soon slide your undergarments down your legs. The way they danced over your skin on softer nights, treating you like something delicate – something precious. The way they would hold your hips, soft or rough depending on what you wanted on that particular night. The way his fingers played you like a damn fiddle, leaving you seeing stars. Then of course there were the small touches that meant different things. There were the “I love you” touches, the “I’m here for you” touches, the “I need you” touches. There were the “I’m falling apart” touches and the “I don’t know what to do” touches. You’d come to know them so well it was like his hands spoke a language all their own and you were lucky enough to have been their student. There were many things to love about Noctis – many things that you adored and treasured. And his hands just happened to be one of them.


	8. Chapter 8

The night Noctis first met you he had been walking along the shores of Galdin Quay alone, unable to find solace in the gentle blanket of sleep.  If it wasn’t nightmares keeping him from slumber it was stress.  If it wasn’t stress that kept him awake at night, it was the anxiety that came with his title.  His friends always poked fun at the fact that Noctis was always napping during the day, but the truth was that he hardly ever slept at night.  Night was too quiet whereas the day was riddled with plenty of background noise and the voices of his friends that he felt safe enough to fall asleep.  

Noctis had stopped to stand at the edge of the water, the ocean water coming to lap at his bare feet, when he heard a small burst of laughter.  It was almost like a chime that carried across the water.  His eyebrows knit together as his star kissed eyes traveled along the horizon to see where the sound had come from, but there was nobody there.

“Hello?” Noctis called, voice just above a whisper so as to not draw attention to himself.  The laughter echoed again, this time accompanied by the sound of water splashing.  He must have been imagining things; he was simply sleep deprived and his mind was playing tricks on him.  Noctis took that as his cue to head back to the others, back turning just as two eyes peered curiously over the surface of the water.

* * *

Noctis returned the next night due largely to the same reason he’d appeared there the first time, except now there was a coloring of intrigue to his reasoning.  He stood on one of the few docks, seated so his feet hovered just above the surface of the ocean.  All he wanted to know was if he’d truly imagined the sound of laughter last night…or if it were something else.

Eyes scanning the water, Noctis had started to believe it was just his imagination when he heard the sound of something breaking the surface of the water.  Alert, he watched the ocean before him.  Once again there was nothing there, however, and Noctis was left feeling a mixture of disappointed and annoyed.  Disappointed because it was likely just a fish trying to catch a late night bite.  Annoyed because the part of him that left him feeling watched argued that whoever – or whatever – it was, was playing with him.

“Stop messing with me,” Noctis ground out, fully aware that if anyone were to come by they’d likely think he’d lost his mind.  

Just as Noctis was about to give up and attempt to go to sleep out of spite, the distinct sound of the water breaking caught his attention.

“You always look very sad.”  The person that had spoken was submerged in the water near Noctis’s feet, nothing but their shoulders and head above the water.  “Why are you sad?”  They tilted their head to the side in curiosity and Noctis was reminded for a brief moment of a puppy.

“I-I don’t know….”  Noctis’s eyes were narrowed in slight confusion because where on earth did this person come from and why were they out swimming so late?  

“Well if you don’t know who should I ask?” There was that laughter again, the one that reminded Noctis of lazy summer days spent in the royal garden; that reminded him of playing with his father without a care in the world.

“Why do you go swimming every night?” Noctis asked, changing the subject.  

“I don’t go swimming every night,” they replied with a shake of their head and an amused smile.  “I swim all day every day.  I live in the water.”

Noctis was aware of the saying that people who enjoyed swimming often said they “lived in the water” but there was something pulling at the back of his mind saying that wasn’t what this person was saying.  “Yeah, but when do you come out?”

“We don’t,” they replied, their nose scrunching at the idea.  

“We?”

“Merfolk.”

 _Merfolk_ …. “They don’t exist…they’re mythical creatures,” Noctis said in disbelief.

“Well I’m right here aren’t I?” They replied.  “If you don’t believe me though….” At that moment they dove back under the water, and in turn a large tail surfaced.  The scales were beautiful; an iridescent blue in the moonlight.  The fin was a nearly transparent, reminding Noctis of a dragonfly’s wing.  

As Noctis attempted to wrap his mind around what was happening, the mermaid resurfaced without Noctis realizing until he heard their voice again.  “Well at least you don’t look sad anymore.”

“Mermaids don’t exist…”

“You know, it’s quite rude to continue to deny someone’s existence,” they replied matter-of-factly.  

“Sorry,” Noctis muttered.  “I have to go,” he said, beginning to stand from his place on the dock.  

“Will you come back?”  In all honesty Noctis hadn’t really thought of coming back after this, a part of him quite sure he had lost his mind somewhere along the way of his journey.  But when he looked back at the face of this undeniably stunning creature he recognized the sadness in their eyes that seemed to mirror the loneliness he often felt.  

“I’ll come back,” he said with a soft smile.  

And he did, for the next week that Noctis was staying at Galdin Quay he visited them every night.  He learned that their name was _____, that they lived on the outskirts of their kingdom’s territory alone as the rest of their people didn’t enjoy being so close to humans, and that Noctis was the first human they’d actually talked to face to face.  Strangely enough Noctis found a sort of companionship with them.  They didn’t care who he was or that he was a Prince, they didn’t care that he often felt his responsibility crushing his entire being.  

They only cared about Noctis, the boy that was kind enough to offer his company.


	9. Chapter 9

[alphaweeb](http://alphaweeb.tumblr.com/) said:

How would the guys react to a s/o who has ocd skin picking issues due to hella bad anxiety and self confidences issues? 

 

  * So as lazy and fairly out of it everyone seems to peg noct to be he’s pretty observant
    * he picks up on little idiosyncrasies pretty easily
    * he pays attention to what people’s favorite things are
    * he’s the type of person that will remember a small detail someone said in passing
  * his problem is just that he sometimes lacks the courage to bring certain things up
  * especially when they can be something that a person is self conscious of
  * that being said, noct notices pretty early on that his s/o tends to pick and/or scratch at their skin
  * it takes him a bit longer to pick up on what exactly causes them to do that tho
    * he notices that it isn’t all the time and that certain situations tend to exacerbate the problem
  * finally it really just comes down to his s/o explaining the things that cause the scratching and picking to worsen
    * he’s pretty understanding of the whole thing as he knows that everyone needs a way to cope and people find that way to cope both consciously and subconsciously 
    * his s/o’s just happened to be more of the latter
  * once he finds out what causes it he’ll also begin to go out of his way to help keep you out of anxiety inducing situations
  * as for the self confidence part, he’ll do his best to build up his s/o’s confidence, but he can only do so much before it’s more so something his s/o has to work on themselves
    * he’ll still be a supporting figure in their gradual journey to self confidence tho




	10. a good king

Maybe it was due to his name that he was up at this hour so often. Or maybe it was just the nightmares.  Nobody knew about them; he didn’t wake up with a start or in a cold sweat, he didn’t toss and turn, he didn’t yell out for someone to help.  Because ultimately nobody could help.  What he dreamt of night after night, different scenarios that all still ended the same, was going to happen one way or another.  He couldn’t ask his friends to help because they couldn’t. Not if they wanted to save Eos.

So Noctis would continue to bear these nightmares.  He would continue to wake up paralyzed by the familiar fear and dread that welled up within his veins.  He would continue to bear the information that he held.  The others didn’t need that extra worry – they didn’t need to know that they ultimately helped to raise this black sheep for slaughter.  He was fine with bearing this alone.

He turned onto his side then, his night-struck eyes falling onto your peacefully sleeping form. It helped that you were beside him whenever he was being devoured by these nightmares.  You were a way to help ground him in the present.  You were a way to help realize that while he may be on a journey that would end in his death, he was allowed to enjoy these moments in between.  If you ever found out about his constant nightmares you would probably kill him before he was suppose to die though.  He laughed silently at that, though there was a hint of self-deprecation in the action.

Finding you had been something like a dream to him. For all those years you had apparently been coming and going to the Citadel as your mother had worked there, but never once had he seen you.  It wasn’t until disaster struck that he was gifted the chance to meet you face to face.  You talked to him about how his father had always been so kind to you whenever you were at the Citadel and how when you were younger you’d wished King Regis were your father as you’d never known your own.  Noctis had been able to tell that first time you brought up those memories that it was difficult for you, and in a way he’d found that…refreshing.  The other guys were broken up by the fall of Insomnia and the death of the King, but in a way that was expected of them as part of the Crownsguard.  With you though, with you it was just another person that had known the kindness of his father without any other filter and it was a glorious feeling to get to talk about Noctis’s father with you. It was cathartic.

And sometimes Noctis thought it was just a little too perfect.  

“Maybe I dreamt you,” Noctis whispered.  His hand came up to stroke through your hair, gentle enough so as not to wake you; it had already been an exhausting day.  Plus Noctis wouldn’t wish his sleepless nights on anyone else.  "Maybe I dreamt you and the Astrals decided to give me one last blessing before I died.“  

This was the only time where he allowed himself to drown in these thoughts or say that accursed word aloud.  It was only within the safety of the darkness that he knew he wouldn’t burden the others with such knowledge. Even if the others did in fact know of what his fate held for him come the end of this journey he wouldn’t want to bring it up and rub an already raw wound.  Everyone died eventually anyway, there was no need to make a big deal out of his own death.  The only difference was that unlike most people he knew how and why he would end up dying.  At least he would go out like a hero…if people bothered to remember the King that gave the greatest sacrifice.

Noctis shook his head of the thought.  He’d likely be forgotten to time sooner or later, and the people of Eos owed him nothing.  This was simply his lot in life – none of it was their fault and his people shouldn’t bear such a burdenous thought. A good king puts the people before himself, Noctis thought, reciting one of the few mantras his father had instilled in him as a child.  A good king sacrifices all to keep his kingdom and the people within safe.

"I will put the people before myself,” Noctis murmured as he felt his eyes begin to droop once more.  "I will sacrifice my life to keep my kingdom and people safe.“


End file.
